The original Blood Rayne which was released on all platforms received a mixed response when it arrived on Xbox back in October 2002. Featuring red head, half vampire Rayne and set in a 1940’s fantasy setting based around World War 2 lots of Germans and other oddities were very much on Rayne’s menu. Well time has passed and were in 2004 almost 2005 and Blood Rayne makes a return on all formats and this time supporting a more modern themed game.

Gameplay:

Blood Rayne 2 follows the story from the previous game whereby Rayne continues the fight against her father’s legacy as she sets out to kill all members of his family to avenge the deaths of her mother’s side of the family. Its quite a gritty set up here but one that allows players to get stuck in and commit some serious acts of mass carnage and brutality.

Story aside, Blood Rayne 2 is a 3rd person action game where players get to suck, kill and maim all who stand in your way across a number interior/exterior city based locations. With a wide assortment of weapons including blades, guns and of course special powers makes Rayne quite a formidable character. What players will notice from the offset is the onus on out and out combat with a touch of exploration thrown in for good measure. The combat is pretty intense and as you progress will get harder and harder. However with Rayne’s acrobatic abilities which enable her to grind rails, swing on pipes and generally get to places that others simply cant; combined with her unique special powers such as slow time and weapons will make light work of any opponent if these are used correctly.

What is also recognisable are the various interactive objects that scatter across the levels, in fact some of the main progression can only be achieved by using these. A good example of this is early on where a dumpster truck is blocking your path and the only way to shift it is to toss hapless victims into its crusher to dislodge it. Whilst maybe a little far fetched is actually quite a gruesome yet entertaining way of simply getting from one area to another. Apart from these set moments there are a number of other fatalities that can be performed using stationary objects or simply throwing victims off great heights. It is here where players get to see the over the top yet effective rag doll physics in play.

What has always been a key feature of the game play is the ability to feed off victims when your health is running low. Well this feature returns ( Rayne wouldn’t be a vamp if she didn’t need blood ) and offers some minor tactics as you keep an eye on your opponents and your health, deciding when the time is right to feed or not. Due to the enemies coming thick and fast it’s not always possible to feed when you want to and can often result in an untimely demise. As the game progresses Rayne will gain new abilities, weapons and fighting moves which are all pretty simple to master for any player.

Graphics:

The graphics seem to have had an overhaul and look a lot more polished this time round. With some freakish character design for the enemies and a sexy looking lead character the game does a good job of creating decent combat moments. What is also very heavily featured is the gore which although a little over the top is still very horror and effective. Slicing off limbs or cutting bodies in two will become second nature as players progress through the game; these gruesome acts are depicted well enough. Some excellent lighting is used throughout the game and add some well appreciated atmosphere. Animation is relatively smooth although some of the enemy movements do look a little stiff at times.

Sound:

Rayne herself is a well performed character who is cocky yet likeable all the same. I think the actress who performed her voice is the same that did Cortana in Halo 1 and 2. Other sound effects such as screams of pain are all pretty well realised as are the erotic sounding moans from Rayne as she feeds. Some of the other characters voice acting isn’t quite as good as the lead character but is adequate all the same.

The in game music is pretty up tempo stuff and actually surprised me as the game is full of break beat tracks as you battle through the levels. Not everyone will like the style but for the game type I think it works quite well as it aids the urgent pacing of the game.

Longevity:

Blood Rayne 2 offers a decent sized adventure which will take the average gamer not too long to finish. There are other modes of difficulty to mess around with and a number of un-lockables to find as well. Unfortunately there isn’t much else to do once the main game has been beaten and with multiplayer being non existent is a shame.

Overall:

Blood Rayne 2 is a pretty decent action game, featuring a sassy heroine, cool moves and powers make the action very hot indeed. The gore is suitably over the top but remains fun all the same. The linear nature of the levels do not help and perhaps something more free roaming would have been a better route to take with the series. As it stands the lack of any true extras or multiplayer means that the game will probably gather dust once you have beaten it. For those of you looking for a change from first person shooters then this might be worth a look. Anyone else I suggest renting first. A solid game marred by its linearity and lack of substance.